(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to testing of electrical circuitry. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for testing the wiring of a telephone terminal block of the type having a plurality of connectors extending therefrom. The apparatus of the present invention also relates to an electrical circuit testing device which allows for the establishment of electrical connection between the protruding connectors of a telephone terminal block and an electronic device which tests the wiring of the telephone terminal block.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the communications industry, more particularly in the telephone industry, terminal blocks having a plurality of clip-type electrical connectors protruding therefrom are used. One such terminal block is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,942 to Robert Knickerbocker. A similar type of terminal block is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,092 to Robert Knickerbocker. This later patent not only discloses a terminal block but also discloses a tool for inserting wires in the connectors of the terminal block.
The wiring of a terminal block is a complicated matter and is prone to mistakes. Thus, it is desirable to test the terminal blocks to be sure that the wires are connected to the proper electrical connector and that the wires are connected so as to make good electrical contact. It should be noted that electronic apparatus for testing the wiring of terminal blocks is available. However, such electronic apparatus must be connected to the various electrical connectors of the terminal block to allow for testing of the connections by the electronic apparatus.
One prior art method of testing the connections in a terminal block is to attach the testing wires leading from the electronic testing apparatus to the electrical connectors of the block by clips. It should be appreciated that this is a time consuming and arduous task which by its nature is subject to human error.
Another prior art test apparatus involves a test block which is the same size as the entire block to be tested. This test block has an array of contact elements that are force fitted over the connector elements of the terminal block, and the test block is secured to the terminal block by clamping arms and a clamping screw. The arms extend into openings in the terminal block and the clamping screw is torqued through the arms to load the test block against the terminal block. This test apparatus is bulky and cumbersome, both to mount and dismount. Furthermore, because of the force fit of test contacts over the connector elements of the terminal block, contact can only be made with every other connector in a row because of space limitations. Thus, individual rows cannot be tested (the entire terminal block must be tested as a unit), and even then only half the connectors in any row are actually tested.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an electrical circuit tester which can be easily connected to electrical conductors which protrude from a conventional terminal block.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical circuit tester which can be affixed or connected to a plurality of electrical connectors, thereby reducing testing time, and insuring that the correct testing wire is associated with the correct electrical connector.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical circuit tester having relatively few parts. It is still a further object of the present invention to fabricate a circuit tester from parts which are plastic and which can be molded by conventional techniques.